Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z
by Anastasia Athene
Summary: For the Ars Amatoria Theme Challenge: a series of unrelated stories about Bridge and Z. Fifteenth challenge up: Home
1. Friends

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

Challenge: #1: Friends

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N: **Set during or after Dogged.

**  
Friends **

_Rule 4801-A.__Pets In The Dormitories. Unless the animals are robotic (see appendix for information about Robotic Interactive Canine), dogs, cats, horses, Tolorian sloths, snakes, or rabbits are not allowed in the dormitory area. Smaller pets, such as fish (except for the Granylian species) and small rodents, i.e. hamsters and guinea pigs, are acceptable, with approval from the Commander._

Z frowns at the book in her hand. "Why would you even want to keep a horse in a dorm room?" She glances around at her own room. "There's barely enough room for a person, let alone a horse."

Suddenly a knock comes at the door, making her jump a little before calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's Bridge. Can I come in?"

"Uh…sure, Bridge." _Rule 4708-B. Cadets will not enter another cadet's living quarters without invitation. _"What's up?"

"I made toast, and I came to see if you wanted some. It's buttery." He wiggles his fingers in front of his mouth, and she stifles a giggle.

"What is it with you and that toast?" He shrugs and offers her a plate, which she declines. "That's okay, Bridge. I'm kinda busy." She holds up the handbook, and he gives her a pleading look.

"Come on, Z. I don't have anyone to eat breakfast with. Please? It's _buttery_." He repeats, wiggling his fingers again. When she hesitates, he continues. "If you keep reading the handbook like that, non-stop, you're going to turn into Sky."

She drops the book. "Give me some toast." He laughs, and she finds herself smiling, too. Bridge was fun, to put it mildly, and she was glad that at least _someone_ at SPD was being friendly to her. She smiles to herself. Her first real friend at SPD.

"Bridge?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. You're…you're a good friend." His smiles stretches from ear to ear, and she's glad she decided to say it.

"It's nothing, Z, really." He takes a big bite of his toast, as if to change the subject. "…Mmm. It's—"

"Buttery?" she supplies, wiggling her fingers and shyly looking at him over her own piece of toast. His face lights up in a wide, boyish grin, and she can't help but grin back.

"Yeah," he says, and his smile is blinding. "it's buttery."

**Hope you enjoyed! Please press the pretty blue button and leave a pretty review! Thank you!**


	2. GreenEyed Monster

**Theme Challenge: **Bridge and Z

**From the _Ars__ Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge: Theme #35—Green Eyed Monster**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N: **Set during Wired, Part 1.

**  
Green-Eyed Monster**

Z Delgado is not happy. And she really doesn't understand why.

That doesn't make her much happier.

Crossing her arms, she leans against the doorway to the SPD mess hall, where her teammate Bridge is sitting with Sophie, the talented up-and-comer on D-Squad.

"Jealous much?"

Jack Landors' voice rings in her ear, and she jumps, smacking his shoulder.

"Jack! Don't sneak up on me like that! Jesus!"

He just laughs and pokes her arm.

"Whatever, Z. Seriously, though. Jealous much?" he repeats, gesturing to the Green Ranger, who is leaning forward, obviously engaged in his conversation with Sophie. Z turns away, frowing and re-crossing her arms tightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Jack snorts. "Sure you don't. You're jealous of the new girl. Just admit it."

"I'm not jealous!" she hisses hotly, quick to defend herself.

"Right. So why are you standing out in the hall, spying on Bridge and Sophie? Come on, Z."

"I'm not spying. And I'm not jealous." She pauses. "I'm just…concerned, that's all." Off of Jack's skeptical look, she continues defensively. "I am! Bridge is very sensitive—I don't want to see him get hurt by some girl. I'm not jealous," she repeats.

"You know, every time you say that, I believe you less and less."

"Shut up, Jack. Don't you have a pretty pink princess to attend to?" she spits, referring to Jack and Syd's recent obvious flirtation. He laughs.

"Aw, now don't change the subject. Just admit it. You've been bitten by the green-eyed monster—and about the Green Ranger, no less! This is perfect!" he crows, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm leaving now," Z tells him, turning away to leave. But her subconscious gets the better of her and before she goes, she gives one last frowning glance at Bridge and Sophie, which Jack of course notices.

"You see! You can't keep your eyes off them for a minute! You're _so_ jealous that it's not even--"

"I hate you!" She yells, spinning on her heel and leaving a laughing Jack behind.

Okay, so it wasn't the best comeback, but she had to get out of there, quick, before she admitted to anything. Because, after all, she wasn't jealous. There was no reason to be. Never mind that Bridge and Sophie had a lot in common. Never mind the fact that he was spending more time with Sophie than with anyone else. Never mind the fact that he seemed to really care about—

Dammit! She wasn't jealous. She _wasn't_.

"Hey, Z! Wait up!"

It's Bridge, of course. She curses whatever deities are laughing at her.

"Um, hey, Bridge." Sophie isn't with him, and Z idly wonders where she went. But she doesn't ask. Because really, she doesn't want to know.

She _doesn't_.

She snaps out of her little mental conversation just in time to catch Bridge giving her a strange look.

"Z, are you all right?" he asks her, putting a gloved hand on her shoulder. She forces herself not to fixate on his hand, warm and soothing.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine! Um, why would you say that?" He squints at her, and she awkwardly returns his gaze.

"I don't know…you're looking a little…green, I think." She groans inwardly at his choice of words, and wishes that she was anywhere but here.

"Oh…well, uh…maybe I'm coming down with something." He looks concerned.

"I hope not. Do you feel okay?" He rips off a glove and presses the back of his hand to her forehead. She shifts uncomfortably.

"Yeah, mostly. Maybe I'm just tired. I probably just need a nap or something."

"If you say so." He still doesn't look convinced, but doesn't say anything about it. "Well, if you're feeling better around seven, a bunch of us were going to play Ultimate Frisbee in the back training field. Actually, we're going to teach Sophie how—she's never played before. Isn't that funny? I mean, not funny ha-ha, but funny weird?"

Z nods dumbly. "Uh…yeah. Weird. Um…I'm going to go take that nap now, I think." She says abruptly, and he nods.

"Of course. I really hope you feel better, Z. Remember, seven o'clock, back training field. It'll be fun! Bye!" He waves cheerfully as he leaves, and she can only lift her hand in response.

"Bye."

Maybe she really is sick. After all, she feels weak in the knees and kind of woozy. Maybe a little flushed. Her head feels tingly, for lack of a better term.No Frisbee for her tonight. Then again, Bridge would be having too much fun with Sophie to notice—

Crap.

She's not jealous. She's not jealous.

She's _not_.

**Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter! Your feedback means so much to me! Hope you enjoyed this installment--please leave a review :)**


	3. Dream

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars__ Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge:** #35—Dream

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N:** Set whenever; to give a time-frame, I'd say any time after Stakeout.

**Dream**

"Bridge, are you all right? You haven't touched your toast."

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Z, really. I just…I guess I'm just not hungry." He punctuates his statement with a particularly violent coughing fit, and Z immediately places a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles.

"Are you sure? That cough didn't sound too good."

"Actually," he wheezes between coughs, "by cough standards, that was pretty strong, which is good for a cough. You don't want to be a weak cough. All the other coughs will laugh at you."

"Oh, boy. I think you have a fever. That was even more random than usual."

He doesn't even have a comeback, just more hacking coughs. Z sighs and rests a cool hand on his forehead. "Bridge, you _do_ have a fever. You're not working today."

"But I have a shift at—"

"I don't want to hear it, Bridge. I'll getsomeone to cover for you. Here, let's get you back to your room." She takes his arm gently and starts toward the living quarters.

"I can still walk," he protests feebly. She smiles.

"Barely. Come on."

She leads him back to his room with minimal coughing and watches as he climbs into his bed, waiting until he is settled before tucking the comforter around his shoulders and stroking his hair, as if he were a little boy. Then she disappears into the bathroom, emerging a few moments later with cough syrup (where'd she find _that_?), a glass of water, and a wet washcloth. She sets the water and cough syrup on his nightstand and gently smoothes the cloth over his forehead. His eyes close in temporary relief.

"Thanks," he manages to utter through his sore throat. She smiles and wordlessly smoothes the washcloth again in a gesture of affection before unscrewing the cough syrup cap and pouring a dose for him in the little plastic cup. He makes a face.

"You know that stuff is disgusting," he tells her, sticking his tongue out. She laughs.

"I don't care. I'm not the one drinking it. Now take it. Do you want to get better or not?"

"You sound like my mom," he grumbles teasingly, but grudgingly throws the liquid down his throat anyway. She laughs, and strokes his hair again, making him momentarily forget about the incredibly nasty aftertaste in his mouth. Her hand then slips away, down to his, and he hears the ripping sound of Velcro being torn apart. His eyes widen considerably.

"What—?" Her fingers flutter over his lips.

"They'll only make you feel warmer," she tells him, slowly pulling the leather off each finger. "I know you're not used to not wearing them, but trust me. You'll feel much better."

And she was right. As soon as the gloves slipped off, he could begin to feel relief seep into his skin, not just because he was cooler, but because he could more directly feel the calm, soothing feelings Z was projecting.

She takes his hand, her thumb moving in circles over his palm, and a golden yellow energy begins to surround him. It's not her aura; this feels much more intense and more...beautiful than just a simple aura reading. He'd never really explored this aspect of his powers before, and he wonders fleetingly if this is a reading of _Z_, the deep-down-inside Z that no one can really see, her soul, her core…he isn't sure. But if it is, he decides that she is truly beautiful, radiant, and maybe someday when he's not so feverish, he'll tell her.

His breaths become deeper and regular, and he's nearing sleep, but through the haze of gold and the fever, he picks out her voice again.

"My mama used to sing this to me when I was little…Sweet dreams, Bridge." He catches parts of a lullaby before sinking deeper into the luminous golden fog and into a soft sleep…

_Dreams are on the nightwind, and dreams are in my heart,  
__And when one dream has ended, another dream will start…  
__You are my moon and stars, and my greatest dream is always  
__That we'll never, ever have to be apart…_

Z watches as Bridge finally slips into sleep, and smiles. Kissing the top of his head, she clicks off the lamp and leaves the room quietly, wishing him beautiful dreams and relief from his fever.

Bridge stirs, but does not wake. She's not in the room anymore, but the golden haze still lingers in his dream.

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far, especially Funky In Fishnet, Etcetera Kit (eee! EK likes my stories! eee!), Monkey-leo, BloomingViolets (eee! BV likes my stories! eee!), Weesta (eee! Weesta likes my stories! eee!), Hybryd0, Islandgurlie12, Neo Aquni,grabbagirl, and Jillie chan---all of you rock my socks! Oh, and for those of you waiting for a kiss or something major along those lines, don't worry. I want it to happen as much as you do! And it'll happen soon, I promise :) Thanks and please review!**


	4. Song

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars__ Amatoria Ranger Romance Theme Challenge_**

**Challenge #16: Song **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers. Or the song, which is"Color Blind" by the Counting Crows.

**A/N: **Bridge and Z are at a dance. Could be an SPD-sponsored thing, could be a dance club, it doesn't matter. It could even be them just listening to the radio. (Although, to be honest, that's not what I was imagining when I wrote it, but I suppose it could work, LOL.) Also, while I don't really like songfics (though I have written a few), I don't treat this as a traditional songfic. The title/challenge/theme is song, after all, and when I wrote this, I treated the song lyrics almost as part of the dialogue. So try and look at it that way, I guess. :)

**Song**

_I am color blind  
Coffee black and egg white…_

"I love this song."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's beautiful."

"Yeah…Do you want to dance? I mean, with me. Or, if you don't want to, then near me. Or just next to me, if that's what you want. Unless you're really set against dancing with me at all, in which case I—"

"Bridge! We're wasting the song!"

"Wha—"

"Yes, Bridge. Yes. I would like to dance with you. Not near you, not next to you, whatever. I want to dance _with_ you. Close to you, in fact. Now come on."

_I am ready  
I am ready  
I am ready, I am…_

"Z?"

"Hmm?"

"You look…I mean, I didn't tell you this before, but—I mean…you look really beautiful tonight."

"Only tonight?"

"What? No! What I meant was that you—"

"Relax, Bridge. I was joking."

"Oh. Well, um, then…yeah. You do look really beautiful tonight. And well, always. But uh…especially tonight."

"Thank you, Bridge. You uh, look really nice, too."

_...taffy stuck and tongue tied  
Stuttered, shook, and up-tied  
Pull me out from inside…_

"Bridge?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"What you said before, when you said that I looked beautiful…always. Did you mean it?"

"God, Z. Every word."

_I am color blind…_

"Bridge."

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

"Why--?"

"Because. I'm going to kiss you now."

"Oh."

And all conversation stopped.

I am ready  
I am ready  
I am ready

_I am fine…_

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, as always. I love reading your comments--they mean so much to me! Please review! Thank you!**


	5. Fight

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #34: Fight**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N:** This story is an AU (Alternate Universe). Meaning that Z and Jack never became Rangers, never met the other three. I think that's all you need to know about this one...It's a little different than what I've been doing, but I hope you like it!

**Fight**

She lies in the alleyway, nothing more than a broken body, her left arm twisted at an impossible angle and her stomach leaking blood from a gunshot wound. Jack is a few feet away from her, face down on the pavement. He got lucky, in a way; died instantly from a point-blank shot to the head.

Gangfight. A freaking gangfight. All these years living on the streets, with strange mutant powers, no less,and she's going to die from a gangfight…it doesn't seem fair. She and Jack just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, looting some bodega that was on the outskirts of known Hearts territory. It also turned out that the alley behind the bodega, while perfect for sneaking away after lifting some minor food items, was also perfect for an all-out war between the Hearts and the Snakes.

God. This wasn't how she wanted to die! She was supposed to find her something bigger, get out of this business, find a place in the world…she wasn't supposed to die at seventeen, faceless and nameless in a dark alley! It wasn't…she wasn't…

A pain erupts in her stomach and the world goes hazy and suddenly she hears sirens; she knows it's not long now. The police would be there soon, before or after her death, she doesn't know. Most likely after, and they'll name her Jane Doe, shaking their heads sadly.

The sirens get louder, her arm throbs and she fights to keep her eyes open.

She's fading in and out of consciousness when she realizes that there are more people around her now. She can hear their voices echo off the concrete walls.

"Oh, my God…"

"Holy…Commander? This is Cadet Tate. Multiple bodies at the corner of State and East 145th. We need paramedics. Bridge, what are you—?"

Suddenly there is a face above her, a face surrounded in a golden haze. He's blurry around the edges, but God, is he beautiful; his eyes are gray-blue and warm and for some reason, she thinks she knows him from somewhere, though she knows that's impossible...The pain in her stomach lessens a bit and she tries to smile but all that comes out is a twitch at the corner of her mouth. His eyes widen and something inside her crumbles.

"Guys! Over here—she's alive!"

One of his companions comes up next to him; she can't see him, but rather, she feels his presence.

"Not for long," the new man says grimly.

"God, Sky. Have some compassion or something," a distinctly female voice says. Z doesn't care about the coldness of his comment, though; she knows it's true and she silently thanks the one called Sky for his honesty, brutal or no. Her golden boy looks at her again.

"Can you tell me your name? What happened?" The two questions are directed to her, but she finds that attempting to speak is sort of painful and makes a coppery taste flood her mouth.

A pressure on the wound in her stomach; her face contorts with the pain.

"We have to stop the bleeding, guys. Here, Syd. We have to put pressure on the wound or she'll bleed to death."

The sadness in Syd's response is almost palpable.

"Bridge, I think it's too late. She's lost too much blood, and it looks like the bullet hit a lung. I know it's sad, but she'll probably be gone before the medics get here."

"We have to try," her beautiful golden boy says, forcefully, and she almost weeps for the incredible irony of it all…she's finally found what she's been looking for. She's found her something bigger. On her death-bed, no less.

She feels Sky's presence leave and faintly hears him start police reports on the bodies.

"I can't find any kind of ID…John Doe. About…18? 19? African American. Cause of death…gunshot wound to the head."

Something within her surges, and she jerks up as far as her injured body will let her. She has to let them know…

"Jack," she manages to choke out. A dribble of red red blood slips down her chin. " 'Sname…sJack." She coughs. More blood on her skin. "Landors….not…John Doe."

Bridge locks her gaze, even as he speaks to Sky. "She says that his name is Jack Landors."

"How does she know?"

She tries to speak, but it's painful and Bridge beats her to it. "She just _does_, Sky. Don't make her talk anymore. I'll take care of it."

She opens her mouth, regardless, and hears the ripping sound of Velcro being separated. A hand closes around hers and a soothing green aura mixes with the golden haze from before. She forgets about the pain in her stomach, her arm…all she can feel is the sensation of getting lighter…she feels the vibrations as he speaks.

"Her name is Elizabeth…Z. Z Delgado. That's her brother, sort of. It's hard to explain…" His eyes take on a more grayish color. "They got caught in the middle of a gangfight…they weren't doing anything wrong. It's not fair." His eyes glisten and she wonders how he knows.

"I'm kind of a psychic." He whispers to her, and she's inclined to believe him.

"Oh," her parted lips whisper. "I…jus'…wanted…"

"Yeah," he says simply. He knows.

A siren wails. The blood drips between her lips and breath doesn't come as easy. She's getting lighter and lighter and the golden fog intensifies.

"Hang on, Z," she hears a soft voice telling her, but it sounds far away. "You're going to be all right."

"'Kay," she rasps, but even as she says it, she feels herself slipping. His eyes, the color of rainclouds, are the last thing she sees. "Thank you…" she whispers as her eyes close.

The one they called Bridge held her as the world faded away.

**...Sad, I know. But it just came out of me...LOL anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it. Much love to all who reviewed last chapter, and I hope you review this one, too! See you next chapter!**


	6. Duty

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #28: Duty **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers.

**A/N: **This is actually the second part (companion? sequel?) to the previous story, Fight. It just popped into my head one night and I worked out the kinks while procrastinating over the weekend (haha!) I hope you all enjoy it!

**Duty**

"Cadet, this is not your jurisdiction anymore, do you understand? You have fulfilled your duties. This is now the medical examiner's job. The bodies are wards of the state."

Bridge stands in the command center, hands firmly clenched behind his back, trying desperately to remain somewhat calm in front of Commander Cruger. He is flanked by Sky and Syd, and he can tell that both of them are feeling very uncomfortable by the situation at hand. He doesn't even have to take off his gloves to know that.

"Sir, we couldn't find their families. Do you know why? They don't have any—they had been living on the streets. I know. I read Z's aura. Sort of."

"Z?"

"The girl."

"You were on a first name basis with her, Cadet?"

Bridge resists the urge to roll his eyes in frustration.

"Not until I read her aura, sir. Commander," he quickly changes the subject, "that isn't the point. The point is, sir, that everyone deserves to be remembered! I'm just asking a favor from SPD. If we could claim the bodies, they could have a small service—"

"Why do you feel so strongly about this, Cadet?"

"I don't--!" he begins to exclaim, then seemingly deflates. "I don't know. Sir."

"You don't know?"

"Sir, I—"

"Sir, I think he's just upset. I mean, they were our age. We may not have known them personally, but it's still a horrible thing to process. And sir, I mean no disrespect, but I don't think it would be too much trouble for the Academy to provide arrangements for two bodies." Sky, unbelievably enough, comes to his rescue, and it's a good thing, too, because he actually knows how to talk to authority figures. Bridge makes a mental note to thank him profusely later, because the Commander sighs (though it sounds like a growl) and acquiesces.

"All right, Cadets. You can have your way this time. I'll call the morgue. Talk to Jane Thomas—she's usually in charge of officer funerals. Her office is on the fourth floor. Go, before I change my mind."

"Yes, sir!"

The three of them salute and move quickly out into the hall, where Bridge turns to Sky.

"Thanks, Sky."

"Forget about it, Bridge."

Bridge watches for a moment as his friend strides purposefully down the hallway and shares a smirk with Syd. She lays a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him.

"You know, Sky cares more than he would like anyone to know." A small smile quirks his lips.

"I know."

"Are you guys coming or not?" Sky's voice drifts down the hall, and Syd laughs.

"Come on, Bridge. Let's not irritate him. You know how it is when he gets cranky."

"I heard that!" Bridge stifles a laugh, and as he and Syd move down the hallway, she turns to him, a serious look in her eye.

"Hey. Just so you know, I think you're doing a really good thing here, Bridge. I'm proud of you."

"Really?" She smiles widely at him, and he grins back, obviously touched.

"Really. Now come on. We've got some work to do."

* * *

The double funeral ceremony wasn't very long; after all, there wasn't a lot to say, but Bridge didn't care. At least _someone_ remembered them; in Z's final moments, when he basically read her mind, he could sense a longing to be remembered, to not be a nameless, faceless street kid who died tragically one fateful day. She didn't want to die, but if she had to, she was going to go with a name to her face. And he could give her that much. 

As the small service ended and the non-denominational minister shook his hand, Bridge felt a sense of satisfaction settle over him. He'd done his duty; he'd honored two people who, he honestly believed, could have been his friends. Smiling slightly, he shifts the yellow rose in his hand.

"Bridge?" Syd comes up behind him, a red rose between her fingers, which she sets down on Jack's grave. A weird feeling tugs at the back of his mind, like those colors were significant somehow, but he can't place it, and soon the feeling is forgotten.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" He nods, and she continues. "Why…I mean, why did you go to all this trouble for someone you didn't even know? Don't get me wrong—I think what you did is really admirable, but…I just want to know why, I guess." Bridge nods, pausing thoughtfully before his response.

"This is going to sound really strange—"

"Strange? You? Never." Bridge gives her a look and she looks down at her feet. "Sorry."

"Anyway…this is really weird, but…I don't know. I think…It was like I knew her from somewhere. I don't know where, but…I—" he falters, looking away across the cemetery. "I think…I think I could have loved her, somehow."

"Bridge, that's impossible." Sky, ever the cynic, scoffs. "You didn't even know her name until five minutes before she died."

He opens his mouth to respond, but Syd beats him to it.

"Let it go, Sky." She pauses, looking straight at him. "He obviously feels _something_. I may not understand it completely, but I know that when Bridge feels, it's real. Even you know that." Sky rolls his eyes, but shrugs in gesture of admission, and a second glance at Bridge says, _I'm sorry. _Bridge smiles back—_It's__ okay_—and Sky claps him lightly on the shoulder.

"Come on, buddy. Let's head home, all right?" Bridge smiles slightly.

"Yeah…Just ah, give me a minute, okay?"

"Sure." And he watches their backs until they reach the car before turning back to the grave in front of him.

"Hey," he says quietly, unsure of himself. "Um…I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we—that I—couldn't save you. We tried, but—anyway…I hope you're all right, wherever you are." He hesitates, and the setting sunlight is warm on his skin. "I…okay, so this is going to sound really weird, but I—I wish I could have known you. Actually, no, it felt like I did, like sometime faraway…a past life, maybe? I don't know. Maybe you do. Anyway, I hope that someday I will get to know you." A soft breeze ruffles his hair. "Um…so, I guess this is goodbye. Maybe I'll come visit you sometime." He lays his yellow rose on her grave and swears he could hear someone say, _Yes!_ But it was probably just his imagination. He glances at the twin graves as he walks away, feeling a tingle in his bones.

"Goodbye, Jack Landors and Z Delgado. I…I miss you." Strange as the words sounded, they also felt incredibly right, so he smiles, waving at the graves slightly.

He falls asleep in the car on the way back home, his head on Syd's shoulder, a dream of another strange and wonderful life swirling in his head.

**Well, there it is. I really hope you all enjoyed it. In fact, I'm hoping you enjoy all of these, because I'm really enjoying writing them! Anyway, please read and review--you'd make my day!**


	7. Secrets

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**For the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge # 3:Secrets**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N: **I wrote this in conjunction with the September challenge on livejournal (spdrangers). I'm hoping that's okay, lol. But anyway, if you know what the challenge is, you can probably guess what this is about. :) Also, this is a two-parter; the second part is (obviously) the next chapter, Reaction.

**Secrets**

She wakes up to dawn slowly lighting on her face and makes a small noise of contentment as she moves in closer to the other person in her bed. He wakes at the movement, smiling faintly.

"Hi," he says. She giggles softly.

"Hi," she replies, kissing his nose in a moment of playfulness. He smiles and kisses her properly, making her shudder and press herself into him further.

"Good morning," she manages to say. He laughs.

"Good morning." He tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and lets his hand linger there, staring at her for a few moments. She blushes under his gaze.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just…I could get used to this."

"Used to what?"

"This. You. Here, in the morning…here, all the time."

"Yeah…but Sky's not going to be on night duty every day, you know."

"I know…but I wish you could be here every morning."

"Bridge. As much as I'd like that, too, do you know how much trouble we'd be in if we got caught? _Rule 340-C. Cadets of the opposite sex may not_ _stay in each other's rooms overnight, unless one or more of the following is true: i. They are married and therefore living in a specifically designated dorm, ii. Special permission from the Commander, iii. Certain cases of extreme emergency. Violators of this rule will face severe consequences. _And last time I checked, this wasn't an emergency, we definitely don't have permission from Cruger, and we're not married." She sighs. "So, unfortunately for the both of us, this isn't going to be a regular thing." He kisses the top of her head and she buries herself into his shoulder.

"Your knowledge of the handbook is kind of terrifying sometimes, Z."

"I hate you," she mumbles into his shoulder, and he laughs.

"No, you love me. That's why we're in this situation in the first place." She doesn't respond, and he brings her face up to look into her eyes. "I love you, Z." he tells her seriously. Her eyes shine.

"I love you, Bridge." Her eyes cloud over, and she pauses, looking away. "I just…I wish we could actually say that in public, you know? I hate keeping this a secret. All this sneaking around…it was fun at first, but now…I want people to know that I love you, Bridge. I want to…I mean, I—I don't know. I guess I don't know what I want." She laughs quietly. "Listen to me. I'm starting to ramble like you. We've been spending too much time together." Instead of responding, though, Bridge gets up, rather suddenly, in fact, and pulls on a pair of pajama pants. "Hey. What's up? I was joking." He doesn't say anything; rather, he goes to the top drawer of his dresser and rummages around determinedly for a few seconds.

"Bridge, what are you--?"

At that moment, he turns around and she sees the little object in the palm of his hand. Gasping, she brings her hand to her mouth. It's a small, black velvet jewelry box.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

"You said you wanted people to know that you loved me, Z. Well, I want people to know that I love you, too. Only you, forever you. And that I want you here with me in the morning until the end of time…" He walks slowly toward the side of the bed, and she sits up, gathering the sheets around herself, crying softly with her hand to her mouth.

"Z, I love you—I said that already, but I just want to make sure you know—and I know this is really sudden and kind of unexpected, but I…I wanted to ask you," he continues, kneeling at the side of the bed. Then he opens the small box, revealing a small but beautiful diamond ring. Her tears fall faster, and he finally says the magic words. "Will you marry me?"

She sobs, and kisses him fiercely.

The taste of yes is a slow golden taste on his tongue.

When they break apart, he grins at her broadly, tears shining in his own eyes. "Is that a yes? Because I didn't actually hear any—"

"Just put the damn ring on my finger, Bridge! Of course it's a yes. Yes! Yes yes yes yes—"

The ring shimmers on her finger; his mouth tastes like forever.

"Yes," she whispers against his lips. "Yes."

Hours later, afterglow settles around them and Z stares at the ceiling, deep in thought. Bridge dozes, delirious and spent, under her arm. He begins to fall into sleep again, when suddenly he hears her voice.

"Tomorrow."

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow," she repeats, looking down at him. "Let's get married tomorrow."

"What?" he repeats, not sure he heard her right.

"I said, let's get married tomorrow. We can get the license today, pick out wedding bands, I'll buy a dress. I don't think blood work will be a problem; we can just submit our SPD medical records and that should be good enough. You call your parents—I know you'll want them to be there, and I'll call the courthouse, unless you want to—"

"You really are starting to talk like me," Bridge interrupts, propping himself up on his elbow. But he continues in a serious tone, "Are you sure about this? I mean, everyone's going to freak out. They don't even know we're dating. How are they going to react if we tell them we're getting married tomorrow?"

"I don't care, Bridge. I just want to marry you. I never wanted a huge ceremony. Do you?"

He admits that he doesn't, and she places a soft hand on his cheek.

"Then let's do it. I don't want a long engagement. I've been hiding this for so long that I want to tell people, now." She laughs quietly and kisses him. "Do you understand?"

"Do I understand? Z, if I had known that, I would have proposed months ago."

The room fills with the sound of their laughter, and when they fall silent, Z sighs joyfully into his shoulder.

"Tomorrow," she whispers. He grins widely.

"Tomorrow."

_Tomorrow._

**grins widely Yay! Okay, well, I hope you enjoyed this--now review and go and read the next chapter! **


	8. Reaction

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**For the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #33: Reaction (weird how the first part of this was #3, and this is #33...)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Power Rangers.

**A/N: **Well, this is the second part of Secrets. I think that's all you need to know. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Reaction**

"Any idea why we're meeting Bridge and Z at the courthouse a full hour before dinner? What's so important at the courthouse that they need us to wait around here?"

"I don't know, Syd. Maybe Cruger gave them a crapload of last minute paperwork."

"I don't think so, Cadet Landors," a low, growling voice echoes as Cruger comes in behind them, along with Kat. "I am in the dark myself."

"Commander? Kat? What are you doing here?"

"Bridge asked us to come here at 5:00. He was very mysterious as to why, though." Kat replies, crossing her arms over her chest. Syd wrinkles her nose.

"Then what's going on?"

"Oh, good, you're all here!" Suddenly, Z appears, Bridge at her side, with Bridge's parents trailing behind them. She is wearing a knee-length, soft silk dress in the palest shade of goldenrod imaginable, and Bridge wears a dark green dress shirt and slacks. Both of them are smiling widely as they approach the group.

"We're so glad you're all here," Bridge says, still smiling. Then Jack, ever the impatient one, has to jump in first.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great, but what's going on? Why are your parents here? By the way, nice to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Carson." They both nod, smiling, and Jack goes on. "Anyway, why are _we_ here? I thought we weren't going to dinner until six." But while Syd smacks him for being slightly rude, Z and Bridge just grin at each other.

"We have a surprise for you guys," Bridge begins. "It's definitely a good surprise. I mean, it's going to shock you at first, but after that, I think you'll definitely be really happy. At least, we hope you'll be really—"

"We're getting married." Z interrupts him, and he glares at her, mock-severely. "Oh, come on, Bridge. It would have taken you another twenty minutes to get to the point, and our appointment's at five-fifteen."

Meanwhile, their friends are staring at them, not sure if they heard her correctly.

"Wh-what did you say, Z?" Syd manages to say, her eyes widened to the point of painfulness. Z shares a smile with Bridge, who takes her hand, interlacing their fingers and squeezing it gently.

"We're getting married," she repeats softly.

The group is silent for a good thirty seconds before a barrage of questions are thrown at the soon-to-be newlyweds.

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"What are you thinking?"

"How long have you been keeping this a secret?"

"Married? When did you even start dating?"

"You can't get married! You're barely nineteen!"

"Is this because of that 'you'll never get a boyfriend' comment? Because if it is, I was joking!"

"Guys!" Z finally yells, and the clamor dies down. "If you'll just shut up for a second, we can answer your questions. Just hear us out, okay?" She sighs, glancing at Bridge. "Okay. First of all, we know this is a really big, shocking thing to process, and believe me, we would have told you about us dating so much earlier if it wasn't against the rules. No offense," she offers to Cruger, who merely raises his eyebrows. "Second of all, yes, we're totally serious. I know it's crazy, and I know we're really young, but we're in love. We want to get married."

"You guys are insane. You can't get married! How long have you been dating, anyway? It can't possibly be long enough." Sky exclaims.

"Nine months, last Wednesday." Bridge offers quietly. Syd's jaw drops.

"You've been dating for nine months and none of us knew about it? I'm kind of impressed, actually—" Glares from both Jack and Sky cut her off, and she immediately looks down at the ground. "I mean, god, you guys are insane."

"Back on topic," Jack says quickly, shoving his hands through his hair. "Fine. You've been secretly dating for nine months, and that's all well and good, but getting married? Come on! What possessed you to think of this?"

"Jack, it doesn't matter! What matters is that we're getting married—we decided this on our own, we know that this is what we want, and we're doing it, no matter what, with or without your approval! We just…we just wanted our families to see our wedding, and you guys are our family." Another moment of silence falls.

Finally, Syd is the first to step forward, throwing her arms around both Bridge and Z. "Oh, you guys! This is so romantic!"

"Syd!"

"Shut up, Sky! It's romantic and you know it is—you're just too chicken to admit it. Now come over here and be happy for your best friend and his fiancée!" After only a minute of deliberation, Sky obliges, even gracing both of them with hugs. Kat soon follows, a toothy smile on her face, and Cruger comes forward as well, leaving only Jack standing a distance away, his arms crossed over his chest. Z frowns.

"Jack," she pleads, stepping toward him, "Come on. You're my brother. You _have_ to be there. Who else is going to give me away?"

He is silent for a moment, looking away in thought, and Z shifts anxiously. Finally he turns to her, a rueful smile on his face. "Well, I very well can't say no to that, can I?" Z's face breaks out in a wide grin, and she rushes forward to hug him tightly.

"Delgado-Carson?" The secretary at the main desk calls, and Bridge goes over to her. She hands him a few papers and says, "Go to room 103—it's the first room on the right over there. Give these to the judge inside, and he'll have you sign them at the end of the ceremony. Congratulations." Bridge thanks her, then gives her a genuine smile and moves back to Z, who stands waiting for him, a huge smile on her face.

"Let's go get married," he says, and unshed tears glitter in her eyes. He takes her hand and begins to walk toward the room.

"Hey, hold on a second!" Jack exclaims, and rushes forward to take Z's arm. "She's not yours yet—I have to give her away first."

The group moves into the small room, led by Bridge and his parents, then Cruger and Kat, then Syd and Sky, and finally Jack leads his sister in, kissing her cheek lightly before letting Bridge take her hand. The judge smiles kindly at them as he looks over their paperwork.

"Well, Mr. Carson, Ms. Delgado—let's get this done, shall we? Do you have rings?"

_With this ring, I thee wed._

The judge smiles at the two young lovers as they exchange rings tearfully. "Now, repeat after me."

"I, Elizabeth, take you, Bridge, to be my husband…"

"I, Bridge, take you, Elizabeth, to be my wife…"

"To have and to hold…"

"To honor and to respect…"

"To love and to cherish…"

"For better, for worse…"

"For richer, for poorer…"

"In sickness and in health…"

"From this day forward…"

"For all the days of my life."

The judge gives them another smile. "Now, if you'll just sign here…Good, good. And now, with the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

And Bridge does; it's the most perfect kiss Z has ever received, soft and wonderful and full of promise…her first kiss as someone's wife. Well, not just someone…Bridge. She smiles against his lips. She is now Bridge Carson's wife, and it's absolutely unbelievable. Clapping erupts around them, and she turns to face her friends—no, her _family_—grinning madly.

"Congratulations," the judge tells them, and they thank him and spill into the hall, laughing and cheering ringing in their ears. Cruger and Kat each hug them tightly, and then Bridge's parents embrace them both.

"Congratulations, son." His father says, placing a hand on Bridge's shoulder. "We couldn't be more proud of you."

"Yes," His mother adds, smiling widely. "Welcome to the family, Z." At this, Z begins to cry, and they embrace, daughter- and mother-in-law. Bridge hugs his mother, too, then slips his hand around Z's, kissing it gently where her fingers meet her knuckles.

Syd looks at them, the happy couple, and can't get over how beautiful her best girl friend looks. But it isn't just the pretty dress, the wavy hair, the soft golden makeup…she's radiant. She's _happy_. Truly happy, in the purest sense of the word. She watches Bridge take Z's hand and squeeze it, ever so slightly, and Z's smile is small but blinding. Syd feels tears come to her eyes. She doesn't doubt that Z's air of serenity and joyous contentment is because of Bridge.

Syd moves quickly to them, eyes shining.

"Congratulations," she says sincerely, blinking away the tears. "I'm so happy for you!" And Z embraces her roommate (well, not anymore) tightly, crying even as she thanks her.

Sky lets a huge grin take over his face. He may have been skeptical at first, but now he looks at Bridge and Z and wonders how he didn't see it before—their love practically makes them glow with happiness. _This is right,_ he decides. _This is the most right thing I've ever witnessed_.

The thought alone makes him smile wider, and he claps a hand on Bridge's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Bridge." The younger man grins, and hugs his best friend.

"Thanks, Sky."

At this, Jack moves forward, shaking Bridge's hand and then pulling him into a hug.

"Take care of her, man."

"Oh, I will. I mean, obviously she can take care of herself—she's not an invalid, after all—but I'll still be there if—"

"Got the point, man." Jack's eyes are sparkling as he hugs his new brother-in-law. _Brother-in-law._ Never in a million years did he think he'd ever get to have one. His family is steadily growing, and for all his reservations earlier, he really couldn't be happier, because Z was happy, and really, that was all that mattered.

Z envelops him in a bone-crushing hug, and he returns it with his whole heart. His sister is married. His little sister, skinny little Z who was all elbows and knees only five years ago, has grown into a beautiful young woman who just got married, and he's so very proud of her.

"I'm starving." Bridge says suddenly, and laughter echoes in the hall. Z kisses him soundly and leads him out of the courthouse.

"What are you guys waiting for? Let's go have a wedding reception!"

**LOL I really really hope you liked it! Please review, and I'll see you next challenge!**


	9. Yield

**Theme Challenge: Bridge & Z**

**For the _Ars__ Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #9: Yield**

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Still don't own 'em.

**A/N:** Uh…set anywhere in the later half of the season, I'd say. Only…Omega/Sam isn't really around. Well, I suppose he could be, just not in this story. LOL. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one…

**Yield**

"Man, rain sucks." Jack declares, slouching back on the lounge room's couch. Sky raises an eyebrow as he works on a crossword, but doesn't even look up at him.

"That was profound. Why are you a Ranger? You should take up philosophy." He tells Jack sarcastically. Jack's head lolls to the side as he sticks his tongue out at Sky, and Bridge laughs from his place on the floor.

"Shut up. Rain does suck. First of all, there's nothing on TV—"

"I don't think that's the rain's fault, Jack—"

"—second of all, I'm sick of Lightball, and lastly, we can't go outside, which means no fun stuff like Frisbee or whatever." He sighs thoughtfully. "There _is_ the mud course. I bet it's extra muddy because of the downpour…"

"Don't even think about it, Jack. I'll murder you in your sleep," Syd says from her seat by the window. She shakes her paintbrush at him. "Now stop moving. I can't capture your essence properly if it keeps moving like that." Jack sighs, and does as he's asked. Of course, he's bored, so he just keeps talking.

"Seriously, though. There's not much to do when it's raining."

"You could try reading. There's a novel idea."

"Shut up, Sky. Anyway, as I was saying…uh, this sucks! I can't go outside and do anything!"

"You could kiss in the rain."

All three boys look up at Syd's comment, and she looks at them expectantly. "What? It's romantic, you know. To be kissed in the rain." The three boys stare at her, eyebrows quirked, and she shrugs. "Well, that's what Z said once. I guess it's in some romantic movie she likes. I mean, I've never done it. Personally, it's much too messy for me." At that, Sky rolls his eyes and goes back to his crossword, obviously done with the conversation. Jack laughs and leers at Syd, uttering some halfway-lewd comment that makes her giggle and flick paint at him flirtatiously.

Meanwhile, Bridge gets up, stares thoughtfully out the window, and with no segue, says, "I'll see you guys later," and heads out of the room, followed by curious gazes from his fellow Rangers. Jack scratches his head.

"You know, sometimes I wonder just what the hell his thought processes are like."

Syd mutters a sarcastic barb about Jack's 'thought processes', or lack thereof, and Jack gets up, inciting a tickle-fight. Bridge's abrupt departure is soon forgotten.

* * *

He finds her dozing on her bunk, her headphones—like always—firmly in place. 

"Z," he says, shaking her shoulder gently. She blinks a few times, disoriented, and mutters something incoherent. Bridge doesn't give up, and even goes as far as to gently take off her headphones, which she protests.

"Z, wake up. I…I have to show you something."

She grudgingly squints up at him.

"What, Bridge? Make it quick, I was napping."

"Um…it's not here. Come with me."

"What…? Bridge, what do you have planned?"

"It's a secret," he says, smiling and pulling her out of bed. "Oh, and put some shoes on."

"What? Bridge!" But she obliges, and he takes her hand and leads her through the halls. She rubs the sleep from her eyes as he tugs her along.

"Where are we going? Bridge?"

He just smiles a secret smile. "You'll see."

He pushes open the double doors at the front of the Academy, and she pulls at his hand in protest.

"Bridge, it's pouring down rain. Why are we going outside? We'll be soaked!"

"You'll see!" he repeats, and looking into his sparkling eyes she yields to him, letting him pull her through the doors and into the downpour. She was right, of course; in less than a minute, both of them are soaked to the bone, Bridge's green T-shirt sticking to him like a second skin, Z's hair plastered to her forehead. Bridge doesn't seem to notice, though, and grins wildly at her, his own hair a crazy mess dripping into his eyes. She lets out a half-laugh, half noise of frustration.

"Bridge, what—"

He kisses her. At that moment, he cuts her off, kisses her, cupping her cheek perfectly in his hand, his other hand firmly around her waist, drawing her close. Awakened, she is shocked still; she cannot believe that this is Bridge and he is kissing her—he's _kissing_ her!—_he_ is kissing _her_!

And he's a damn good kisser, too. She melts with the rain against his skin; she yields to him again, slipping her arms around his neck and letting him kiss her as if this is the only chance they'll ever get to fit like this—fleetingly, she makes a mental note to not let it come to that—and god, where did he learn to kiss like this? His mouth works gently on hers; his tongue is soft and not too wet and he tastes like rain and chocolate—mint?

The thought flies away as his mouth leaves hers, and she leans forward, already missing the feel of it. She leans too far; her knees buckle and she literally falls into his arms. He catches her easily and sets her on her feet again; she notices the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks.

"How—what—why--?" she sputters. It seems that he has stolen the words from her mouth; she can't seem to form sentences. He bites his lip nervously and turns.

"I'm sorry!" he calls through the rain. "I shouldn't have—"

"No!" she manages to say, grabbing his arm. He blinks at her through the curtain of water. "I mean, yes. I mean, no, don't be sorry. And yes, you should have." He gives her a shy, nervous smile which she finds endearing and—dare she say it?—adorable.

"Yeah?" he asks, staring at the ground. She cups his cheek in her hand and forces him to look at her.

"Yeah." And now it is _she_ who kisses _him_, kisses him senseless, taking all the words he's built up to say and dissolving them in an instant. He reels as she presses her body warm into his; he can barely keep himself standing upright. He never imagined that this would really happen—he was expecting a slap across the face and a hurried apology…but a kiss like this…never in his entire life. He'd only dreamed…

"Bridge," she murmurs his name huskily against his own lips, and he thinks maybe he _is_ still dreaming.

"Bridge," she repeats, and he leans his forehead against hers, eyes still closed—_Please__ let this not be a dream…_

"Bridge, can I ask you something?" she finally says, and he nods, their foreheads still connected. The rain is cold against his bare lips as she continues, "why…? I mean, why did you—how did you—where did that come from, exactly? Not that I'm complaining, of course." she punctuates her statement with a smile and kiss to the corner of his mouth, and he blinks, shyly smiling at her.

"Well, um…it's kind of random, actually. We were in the lounge, being all bored and stuff, and Jack complained that it was raining, and so we couldn't do anything. And then Syd said that kissing in the rain was romantic—actually, she said that _you_ said that kissing in the rain was romantic. And it was raining. And…well, I wanted to kiss you. So…"

"You wanted to kiss me? Why didn't you just say so?"

He gives her an exasperated look. "Z, you can't just outright tell someone you want to kiss them. Even _I_ know that's a little weird."

She laughs, throwing her head back, letting the rain course down her face. "Yeah, well, weirdness or not…" she leans in to him, impossibly close, leaving one kiss on his jawbone and another on his earlobe. Then she whispers, "I want to kiss you, Bridge."

He does not answer, but crashes his lips to hers. The rain courses down in sheets; their bones are quivering, from cold or something else, neither is sure.

"We're going to catch a cold," she mutters breathlessly as he leaves gentle kisses on her neck.

"Don't blame me. This was your idea," he tells her, cupping her face in his hands. She gives him an indignant look.

"Excuse me, but who was the one who dragged me out here in the pouring rain? Don't try to make this my—"

He properly kisses her, and she instantly melts.

"Okay, you win. Kiss me again…"

He's not one to argue with that.

* * *

"It's been like, almost an hour. I wonder where Bridge went." Jack muses, clicking the channel button on the remote every so often. Sky shrugs. 

"Who knows? Knowing him, he's conducting some crazy experiment or something out in the pouring rain."

Just to check, Syd glances up from her easel and out the window she's sitting near. What she sees makes her smile widely.

"I'll say he is," she says, pressing a hand to her mouth. Jack and Sky look up, curious.

"What do you mean, Syd?" Jack asks, tossing down the remote and moving to the window. Sky follows soon after, and their jaws drop at the sight of Bridge and Z, drenched but still standing in the pouring rain, mouths crashing, arms wrapped around each other. Syd laughs at the astonished looks on her teammates' faces.

"You see? I _told_ you it was romantic!" she crows, and immediately starts on a new painting, one in shades of rain, green, and yellow…

**Sigh…rain kisses _are _romantic…LOL I love you all, hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Closer

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**For the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #39: Closer**

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Power Rangers…think of all the romance the show would contain. Haha!

**A/N:** I know it's been awhile since I've updated this, but college is time-consuming, unfortunately, and I hit some writer's blocks…yuck. But this one came out, thank god. Um…I don't think you need to know anything prior to reading this…could be set anywhere in the season, probably after Stakeout, I'd say. Or Sam. Whatever. LOL I really hope you enjoy this, though. Please review!

**Closer**

Bridge settles into his chair in the command center and exhales loudly. He's alone in the blue-lit room, thank god—sometimes, he just needs to be completely and totally alone in order to organize his racing thoughts. Plus, he needs to get some paperwork done for Kat.

Unfortunately, he's not alone long enough to even start, because the reason for his frazzled mind chooses that moment to walk in the door, hips swaying: Z Delgado. He groans inwardly. Great. He'd been trying to avoid this.

"Hey, Bridge," she greets him with a smile, and he weakly smiles back. "Oh, are you doing paperwork? Me, too." She waves a clipboard at him, and sits down in the chair next to his. She leans over, scribbling something on the paper, and it takes everything in his power not to reach over and push back the hair that falls over her face. He sighs inwardly.

Bridge would be the first to admit (well, not to her, of course) that he had a crush on the sassy, spirited Yellow Ranger, but for some reason this week had been especially difficult for him. All week he had been having dreams about her, and so all week he hadn't been able to look her in the eye because he'd think on things his dream self had wanted to do to her…He feels a blush warming his cheeks and quickly averts his eyes, trying to focus solely on his paperwork and not on the fact that she's only a few feet away and he can practically feel her warmth on his skin…

"Are you all right, Bridge? You're pressing pretty hard on your clipboard. I think your pencil just broke."

His breath comes sharply. Oh, God, she said hard…he almost drops his now-splintered pencil.

"Me?" He glances at her then quickly looks away. "I ah, I'm fine. Just um, daydreaming, I guess."

"That must have been some intense daydream for you to shatter your pencil like that. Here, take mine. I'll get another."

"No!" He practically shouts. "I mean, um, no, that's okay. Don't get up. I'll get it. Really, it's okay. It's fine." After he manages to stutter out his excuse, he jumps up and rushes to the supply drawer across the room, making sure to take extra time finding a decent—mechanical—pencil…he wasn't sure what he would have done if she had made him take hers…there'd probably have been some accidental skin-to-glove contact, and he isn't sure that even the thick leather would be able to shield him…

"Bridge, are you sure you're okay?" She comes up behind him—very, very close, might he add—and it takes all his willpower not to scream in utter frustration. In the name of all things good and sweet and holy, does she know? Could she possibly sense that being around her is sending all his body systems into a state of complete and utter chaos, and now she's just messing with him for kicks? Was that even possible?

He seriously hopes not.

"Bridge…um, you just broke another pencil."

What? He looks down at his hand to find two pieces of plastic where his mechanical pencil used to be.

"Dammit," he swears under his breath, and hears her sigh.

"That's it. Now I know you're not all right. You never swear. Ever. Come on, Bridge. Tell me what's wrong. You can always tell me if something's wrong."

_Not this time, I can't._ He thinks, and braces himself against the console, hanging his head down to his chest.

Bad idea. She comes even closer and lays a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Is it something I did? And don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. You've been avoiding me, Bridge. I haven't seen you all week…did I do something to make you mad? 'Cause if I did, I'm sorry."

She rubs his shoulder gently and it takes everything he has not to turn around and kiss her.

"Bridge?"

"No!" He bursts, spinning to face her. "It's just the opposite…Believe me, you didn't do _anything_ wrong. Nothing at all," he finishes; she's closer to him than he thought. He wasn't expecting her to be mere inches away, and nearly falls backward over the console. Her reflexes kick in; she shoots her arms around his middle, dropping her clipboard in the process. It clatters to the floor with a loud plastic echoing as she steadies him. They stare into each other's eyes and the room falls silent, except for the heavy sound of their breathing. Tension crackles, electric in the air, and as he exhales, Bridge can't help but stare at her lips, which are so close to his that he can feel her breath on his nose. His breath hitches as she catches him staring and realization dawns on her face.

"Oh…is—is that why you—"

"Yes," he says simply, and she shifts her arms from around his waist to around his neck.

Dear God, he might just stop breathing altogether.

"Me too," she tells him, smirking a little. Seeing his completely shell-shocked reaction, she looks him straight in the eye and asks him, "What are you thinking right now?"

He can't believe what he's hearing. Usually, people only ask him what he's thinking when they're trying to solve a crime or something. Tears heat the corners of his eyes, and other things heat the apples of his cheeks.

"I'm thinking…I'm thinking that I—I just want to be…closer to you, Z." He confesses, staring at the floor.

"Well, you're pretty close right now…" Her voice is husky, deep, barely a whisper. "But…" He looks up, a faint smile on his lips.

"Not close enough?" She smiles at him with brazen eyes, and blood flow increases in certain…areas of his body.

"Definitely not close enough." She pushes him, a wicked grin on her face; his lower back slams against the console behind him as her mouth closes on his. Shock reverberates through his spine, and he feels his legs turn to jell-o as she kisses him feverishly. Then he finally gains control of his mind, kissing her back like he's always wanted to.

A low moan vibrates in his throat.

She pushes aside his uniform jacket, and it falls to the floor with a soft thud; he feels his mind slipping farther and farther away. All the reason and semblance of logic he is known for has fled, and he finds himself drawing the zipper of her uniform down, down, down…farther than he's ever thought he'd see. She's wearing a pale yellow camisole, simple, a bit of lace around the edge…he'd always wondered what she wore under that uniform. He pauses, taking in her now-disheveled appearance…her glowing eyes, her flushed cheeks, her mussed hair, her swollen lips…

God, she's beautiful.

"Let's go," he tells her, tugging on her hand, leading her out of the command center.

"But what about--?" He pulls her in tightly to him in the hallway and feels her lungs collapse.

"Screw it. It's just paperwork," he whispers in her ear and her delight is drowsy and heavy-lidded.

"Okay."

With that simple word, they're off through the halls, exhilarated and giddy, both giggling and clutching one another's hands. They're so wrapped up in each other that they don't notice the technician they almost run over, or the odd looks from the lower-ranked cadets, or even Commander Cruger's disapproving look for making so much noise in the halls. By the time they arrive at Bridge's room, both are breathless and built up, looking for release.

She presses him against his door and he feels his muscles tighten. The door slides open, and they manage to stumble inside without falling. Her uniform jacket hits the floor before the door even closes behind them; her hands slide under his t-shirt, where she finds a strong back and solid abs…He separates his mouth from hers just long enough to get his shirt over his head.

_Oh, God…_she stops for a moment and takes in his chest. Sky may have the model's body, but Bridge… "_Bridge…_" She runs her hands gently over the muscles, marveling at the way they shake under her fingers. He takes her hands, kisses each palm, she can't help the little noises that come from her throat when he does.

She's never known this before, never known that her body could respond like this to someone's touch…she doesn't think he does, either, because when she lays kisses on his collarbone she notices his eyes flutter closed…His hands move under her camisole, higher, higher—she gasps, a catching sound at the back of her throat—

"_RANGERS TO THE COMMAND CENTER! RANGERS TO THE COMMAND CENTER!"_

The alarm blares, and they leap apart, their instincts on overdrive. They stare at each other for only a second before reality sets in. Bridge manages to pull on his t-shirt and they rush out the door. Syd, Jack, and Sky are already standing at attention, waiting for them. Syd shoots Z a strange look at her lack of uniform jacket, but Z pretends not to notice.

"Ready?" Jack calls.

"Ready!"

"SPD emergency!"

* * *

"God, Z, what's with your hair? I mean, your hair is usually pretty weird, but I think today it's just…indescribable." 

Z doesn't even notice Syd's snarky comment; instead, she's staring after Bridge, who leaves the command center hastily after locking her gaze for a moment.

"Z? I'm trying to insult you, and you're not even listening."

"Sure, whatever, Syd."

"You're no fun—hey, this is Bridge's jacket. Wonder what it's doing on the floor…?"

Z's head snaps around at the mention of Bridge's name, and stares at the jacket as if it's the Holy Grail.

"Maybe it was warm in here earlier. He probably just forgot it. Here, I'll take it to him." She fairly grabs the jacket out of Syd's hands, eliciting a startled squeak from the pink ranger.

"Hey!" she calls after Z's retreating back. Getting no response, she sighs loudly. "Honestly. Sometimes, I really wonder how I manage to live with her."

* * *

Z hesitates at Bridge's closed bedroom door, clutching his jacket tightly. Knocking lightly, she calls through the door. 

"Bridge? Uh, it's me, Z. I wanted—"

The door quickly hisses open, revealing Bridge standing just inside.

"Z," he says breathlessly. "I, uh…I'd hoped you'd come. I mean, come in."

She steps inside, almost nervous, fiddling with his jacket.

"Is that my—" he begins. She seems to wake from her trance.

"Oh!" she breathes. "Yes. Yes, this is yours. I um, well, Syd found this on the floor of the command center…I thought you'd like it back." She holds it out to him, and his gloved fingers brush hers as he takes it. Heat radiates from the spot.

"Oh. Thanks. And uh,I put yours on the chair…"

"Okay."

They fall into a thick, awkward silence. Bridge shifts his weight and looks anywhere but Z; she in turn stares at the floor. Finally, he takes a step forward and cups her cheek gently in his hand, giving her a soft, open-mouthed kiss.

"What was that?" she asks. His hand is warm on her cheek.

"That was…that was me telling you that…well, that I meant what I said before. I _do_ want to be closer to you, Z. Not just close like we were before—I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that, too—" A blush heats the tips of his ears, and she smiles. "But I don't want just… _that_ with you. I…I want—"

She interrupts him with a kiss of her own, and murmurs, "I want to be closer to you too, Bridge."

He smiles and kisses her—slow, gentle, warm, lingering…

Their uniform jackets find a permanent home on the floor.

**Well, there it is...Hope you liked it! Huge thanks to all my reviewers, every last one of them (I love you all!) **


	11. Color

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**For the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #32: Color**

**Disclaimer: **No. Don't own them.

**A/N: **Set anytime in the second half of the season, I'd say. This one is a new approach…it's really short, but I think that if I made it any longer, it would lose something. I really liked the way this turned out—I hope you do, too!

**Color **

I am not yellow when I am with him. Yellow is much too plain a word to describe how I feel when he's around. Even saffron, lemon, and amber aren't good enough, but—

_Gold_.

I feel golden when I'm with him. Solid and glittering and beautiful, and when he touches me it's like he's worshipping at an altar; every time he whispers my name it's a prayer. I may be the Yellow Ranger, but to him I am a golden goddess.

He is the only person who can call me Elizabeth.

The first time he did, he was lying next to me while the mists of the early morning formed outside my window. His skin was warm, his eyes shone almost silver as he spoke…I remember it was the first time I didn't feel just yellow anymore—

_"Elizabeth. It's a beautiful name, you know."_

_"My name is Z," I tell him playfully, nipping his shoulder. He smiles, but there's a serious smoldering look in his eyes. He shifts so that he is lying by my side, and strokes my cheek softly._

_"I know your name is Z. But—" he smoothes a tender kiss on my forehead. "There's a part of you that's Elizabeth, too—and you know, I think I've seen her, deep inside somewhere. She's beautiful."_

I cried. We made love as the sun came up. He whispered _Elizabeth_ against my collarbone, and I felt my insides turn to gold, I felt my skin liquefy in his hands.

I was like sunlight, pure and luminous and…

_"I love you, Bridge."_

_"I love you, too—Elizabeth."_

Golden.

**--shivers—ooh, I really liked writing this, and I hoped you liked reading it (even if it was kinda short! LOL) To all my reviewers—you are all amazing! Over 100 reviews—I've never had over 100 reviews before, and it's a wonderful feeling! Thank you all from the bottom of my flattered little heart! See you next chapter!**


	12. Knight

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**For the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge #14: Knight**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them. Obviously. Otherwise, one or more of these little ficlets would have happened already!

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the long wait! College has been kicking my butt all over the place, and my computer's been doing something wonky. Blech. But I managed to write this, just a sweet little look into Z's head. I hope you like it!

**Knight**

When she was younger, she had dreamed of fairytale princes and a thousand different loves. Not that she would tell anyone this--not that anyone would believe her. After all, she didn't wear pink. Syd was the pink ranger, so of course Syd was the only girly-girl allowed, Syd could have romantic fluffy fantasies and that was okay. But Z wore yellow, was different than Syd, so of course that had to mean that on the inside Z was different than Syd.

That wasn't true, though. Z wanted a fairytale, too. No one knew, that's all.

God, but she had millions upon millions of beautiful fantasies living inside her, enough tales of love to write a little girl's perfect storybook. And each story, every little tale was different. In one, they met on a beach and swam in the warm, salty ocean. In another, they fell in love under the Parisian night skies.

In her favorite, the one she kept wrapped up secret deep inside her, she discovered that she was actually a long-lost princess, that her father hadn't died when she was nine, that her mother hadn't run away, and it turned out they just lost her by accident, and they wanted their princess back, so they sent out a handsome knight from another kingdom to find her. And he did. They fell in love in between fighting evil dragons together and he led her back to her parents' kingdom and they all lived happily ever after…

Okay, so maybe that one was a little far-fetched, especially the stuff about being a princess. But no matter what the story was, no matter how crazy, how normal, how cliched or not, one thing remained constant. Her lover, the prince, the man she'd dreamed of…every time, it never failed--he was tall, dark, and handsome, and he always whisked her away from the cold dark streets and promised to always love her and take care of her, and promised that she'd never have to live alone on the horrible streets again…

That's how the story always went. A beautiful Cinderella story, a beautiful Prince Charming of a man…those tales of love and happy endings had been the only thing to get her through the day sometimes. The hope of a new tomorrow, the hope of a castle, a palace, a golden slipper…a Prince Charming who didn't care about her past on the streets.

Sometimes, in the complete silence and stillness of night, she imagines true love. She imagines it to feel a little like forgiveness, a little like understanding…a little like a prince who didn't care that she had been a dirty little street rat from the time she was about twelve. A tall, dark handsome prince, a brave knight that loved her for all that she was, all that she is, all that she would be…

Bridge is not tall. Well, not compared to Sky, certainly, and Sky is what one would consider traditionally tall.

Bridge is not dark. He's not milk-pale, either, and his hair is brown, but he is not dark, not mysterious. Well, most of the time, anyway.

And he's not…

Well, yes. He _is _handsome. Wildly so. Maybe not to some other girls, the girls who flock to Sky and his tallness, his brooding silver eyes, his broad shoulders, but to her, he is so handsome, gorgeous, with his blue eyes like open skies, with his smile so boyish and easy and warm, with his hair crazy and out of control. And he is absolutely made of charm. He truly is a charming prince. He could make friends with stones. He smiles, and the world is set at ease. _She _is set at ease.

And now that she thinks about it, her fantasies are coming true. She and Bridge _did_ fall in love in the midst of fighting "dragons". Monsters, at least. And the best part is, he's not just a charming prince. He's also part court jester and part brave knight in shining armor, and he treats her like a princess, even though she knows she really isn't one, and her parents aren't really searching for her.

But maybe she doesn't need to be found anymore.

Now that she thinks about it, they fell in love on a beach, too. On their six-month anniversary, he took her to the beach and just as the sun was setting, he told her he loved her (after about five minutes of rambling about it first, she remembers with a smile.) They dove into the warm crashing water as the moon rose, and she kissed him softly and repeated the words to him over and over because it was the only thing she could think of to say.

It's been six months since that day, and she still smells salt when he says the word 'love'.

Well, they haven't been to Paris yet, but she figures they'll go someday. Maybe for a honeymoon. She smiles at the thought.

It's their one-year anniversary today. Maybe over dinner she'll share these girlhood fantasies with him, tell him that all her dreams are true because of him, and maybe he'll smile that bright easy charming smile at her and they'll create new stories together under a starry sky and the moon rising.

Maybe.

Rising moon, starry sky, wide smile, blue eyes…her knight in shining…well, shining green spandex.

Close enough.

**LOL I hope that there isn't a long wait for the next installment, although the way things are going at school...Shame on me for taking a full course load. It's taking up all of my fic-writing time! LOL anyway, I hope you liked this; please review! PS to all my reviewers--I love you! Thank you so much!**


	13. Test

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes Challenge_**

**Challenge # 13: Test (oooh. Thirteenth challenge, thirteenth chapter...oooh...I hope this turns out okay! LOL)**

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, no. I don't own the Power Rangers, as much as I'd like to.

**A/N: **Uh…second person POV. That's new. LOL. Let's see…basically, Bridge and Z are dating, but not married…set anywhere in the later parts of the season or beyond. It doesn't matter, I guess. Other than that, I really hope you enjoy it!

**Test**

You're late.

It's been almost two weeks. You're very late.

And you're nineteen and you can't do this and you're terrified--

And you need to be sure, so you bought a test. A piece of plastic that could change your life forever. You bought a test and brought it home, and you've been sitting on your bed for the past five minutes, wringing your hands.

You sincerely hope your roommate doesn't come back anytime soon, because how are you going to explain why you're sitting in your bathroom, staring at a plastic little piece of fate?

How are you going to explain this to anyone?

You flash back to your days on the streets. You can hear it now--the yelling, the screaming, the protests, the crying--a girl gets knocked up and her parents disown her, her man leaves her. That's how it was, that's how it is, that's--

That's not going to happen to you. After all, you're not on the streets anymore, and he's not like that. Even if you were both on the streets, you have a feeling that he would be there, excited out of his mind, trying to figure out a way to carry it for you so you won't have to be in any pain.

You smile a little at the thought, and glance down at the still-blank test, and in the little empty screen something glimmers. You don't see the screen anymore. Instead, you see a nursery, painted in seafoam and sunlight. You see a hand-crafted crib and a mobile made of spare computer parts.

You see a rocking chair in the corner. You see little dancing dinosaurs painted on the walls.

You see a wedding, small and intimate. You see a simple white dress. You see yellow daisies.

In that empty screen, you can see toys lying on the floor, you can see first backpacks, you can see waffles and toast for breakfast every Sunday.

What's really terrifying, though, is that in that tiny gray box, you can clearly see a little boy with tousled dark hair and his father's eyes.

You can see the special wide grin, just like his father's, that he reserves just for Mommy.

You can see it all, and it's terrifying, absolutely mind-numbing, how much you really see.

You see a _future,_ all in that little gray box--

Which is now being slowly split in half by a little pink line.

You stare at it for what seems like centuries, that little pink line, before finally picking up the box, fingers shaking.

_A pink line means you're not pregnant._

* * *

It's an interesting thing, to feel your insides slowly dying. 

Instead of relief, like you should have felt, all you can feel is emptiness, numbness.

There's a queer quivering nauseous sensation in your stomach.

You tell yourself it's irrational, that you're young, it'll happen again, it's not the right time now, but…but a huge part of you is still clinging to that grinning little boy, that beautiful nursery, that future.

You turn the shower on and cry. The running water drowns out the sound of your sobs.

You cry because of what you've lost, what you never had in the first place…

You cry because you're late, you're nineteen and terrified, but you're not pregnant.

You cry because you never knew you always wanted it.

**...is sad...I hope you liked this…I felt like writing a slightly sad, slightly angsty story…hope it turned out okay. Please review!**

**And to every single one of my beautiful reviewers, you are amazing. Thank you so much for every little comment--they mean the world to me! See you next chapter!**


	14. Perception

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Theme Challenge_**

**Challenge #10B: Perception **

**Disclaimer: **No, still don't own them, as much as I'd like to.

**A/N: **Wow, I haven't updated this for awhile. Writer's block, school, new obsession with The Office (US version)…shameless plug: if you're at all interested in The Office, check out my fic On Receptionists and Road Trips. It's not complete yet, but I'm pretty proud of it.

Anyway, back to Power Rangers. Um…set anywhere in the canon season. Yep. Just a short little thing that came out at 130 in the morning…

**Perception**

Z isn't as obvious as everyone thinks she is. She isn't so blind.

She can see the way he looks at her sometimes, can see the open naked admiration, the slow-burning glances after she smiles at him or touches him. She's not stupid. She knows what those glances mean.

She knows that when he throws her those glances like so many bright candles, she wants to lose herself in his arms, bury her fingers in his hair, tilt her head back and let him kiss her senseless…

But she also knows that she is absolutely terrified of what that would mean, what it would change, what it would do to _them._

She is terrified that she might be wrong, that he actually does not want her as much as she knows she wants him. She's so terrified that she's been misreading him this whole time. More than anything, she is afraid that if she ever returned one of those burning looks, and he ever saw the _her_ deep inside, he'd turn away, cold, like rain in the winter.

She doesn't think that she could stand rejection from him. So she lets everyone think she's oblivious, that she's just his friend, that her body doesn't respond to every little touch.

It's all a matter of perception, really. She isn't so oblivious. She isn't so blind.

Everybody just needs to think she is.

**Thanks for reading--you guys are the greatest! Please review!**


	15. Home

**Theme Challenge: Bridge and Z**

**From the _Ars_ _Amatoria Ranger Romance Theme Challenge_**

**Challenge #40: Home**

**Disclaimer: **No. I have no ownership of the Power Rangers. It's rather unfortunate.

**A/N: **Yay for inspiration! I've had this one sitting around, but there were a few things missing, and instead of studying for finals, I decided to work out the kinks in this one and post. (Don't worry, I have plenty of time to study. And that's the truth.)

Also, this goes out to Etcetera Kit, who left me a lovely, amazing review for the last chapter and told me not to give up on these challenges. Thanks, EK!

Oh, this is set directly after Messenger. You'd probably need to know that. Now, without further ado…

**Home**

She's lying in bed, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, when a there's a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opens with a hydraulic hiss, and Bridge steps into the room, running a hand through his already-tousled hair.

"Hey," he says, and she sits up, smiling at him.

"Hey. What's up?"

He shifts a little in his spot by the door.

"I just wanted to see if you were all right. I know you were upset earlier."

Her eyes shine. "Oh. Bridge, that's really thoughtful of you," she tells him sincerely, and his face flushes.

"It's nothing, really…you're okay, though? Do you want to talk about it?"

Her first instinct is to say _No, I'm fine,_ and forge on through the fading pain by herself. But she finds herself drowning in his warm blue eyes, and her mouth quietly forms the words—

"I was so scared."

She doesn't think it possible, but his eyes get even warmer and the door hisses shut as he takes a seat on her bed. The mattress sinks. His eyes never leave hers; he waits patiently for her to continue.

"I just didn't want to be homeless again, you know? I finally find this place, this wonderful, amazing place with wonderful, amazing people, and it's where I belong, and then I find out that it's all going to hell in a matter of minutes! I just—"

"Hey," he interrupts her, taking her hand gently. "Even if, god forbid, SPD were to fall tomorrow, you'd still have a home. Jack wouldn't let you be homeless. Syd wouldn't. Sky wouldn't." He pauses, and his voice falls to a whisper. "I wouldn't." Squeezing her hand, he gazes solemnly into her eyes. "You'll always have a home with me, Z."

Her smile is wide and teary-eyed.

"Thanks, Bridge. That means a lot."

Silence falls, and Z glances down at their joined hands and smiles. Bridge follows her gaze and blushes, starting to pull away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just—I mean, um—"

"No, it's okay," she says, gripping his hand with a strength that surprises both of them. Then she smiles at him, a shining look in her eyes.

"Leave it. It—it feels like home."

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


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